Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

ततः स कुपितो मह्यं ददौ शापं द्विजोत्तमः । मिथ्यापहसितो यस्मादहं शापमतोऽर्हसि

Transliteration

tataḥ sa kupito mahyaṃ dadau śāpaṃ dvijottamaḥ | mithyāpahasito yasmādahaṃ śāpamato'rhasi

Translation

„Da wurde jener Vornehmste der Zweimalgeborenen zornig auf mich und sprach einen Fluch: ‚Weil du mich zu Unrecht verspottet hast, verdienst du einen Fluch.‘“

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक-अव्यय (thereupon/then)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• कुपितः: angry
• कुपितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kupita (कृदन्त; √कुप् धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (of saḥ)

• मह्यम्: to me
• मह्यम्: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन

• ददौ: gave
• ददौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/लिट्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• शापम्: a curse
• शापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• द्विजोत्तमः: the best of Brahmins
• द्विजोत्तमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (द्विजानाम् उत्तमः)

• मिथ्या: wrongly
• मिथ्या: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मिथ्या (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (falsely/without cause)

• अपहसितः: mocked/derided
• अपहसितः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपहसित (कृदन्त; √हस् धातु, अप-उपसर्ग)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (of ahaṃ implied as object of ridicule)

• यस्मात्: because
• यस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बन्धबोधक-अव्यय (relative adverbial; 'because/since')

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• शापम्: a curse
• शापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• अतः: therefore
• अतः: Sambandha (Logical connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतुवाचक-अव्यय (therefore)

• अर्हसि: you deserve
• अर्हसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Audumbarī (quoting the curse-giver)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada, angered by unjust mockery, pronounces a curse; the atmosphere tightens as divine music yields to moral judgment.

Characters & Entities

• Audumbarī
• Nārada

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Wrongful ridicule is a moral fault; dharma teaches restraint in speech and reverence toward the wise.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not stated in this verse; it continues the backstory that typically culminates in a tīrtha remedy.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None—this verse states the curse and its justification.